Notes on BriefWriting
Prepared to accompany the Arne Jacobsen exhibition at the Lighthouse, Glasgow, Sept 2002.
Prepared by Jon Stevenson Product Design Tutor at Glasgow College of Building and Printing.
What is a Brief?
The majority of project work carried out by design students is delivered to them in the form of a brief. The idea of using this format comes from the real world client-designer relationship where the brief outlines and defines the contractual aspects being entered into.
In this professional context there are three types
1 Closed Brief – the client knows exactly what they want, they understand the problem or opportunity, they know the solution and they know how they want the designer to get there.
2 Open Brief – here the client does not understand the problem or opportunity, how the solution is to be achieved and what roles the designer will perform.
3 Ideal Brief – this is where the client can explain the problem or opportunity can outline the limitation but gives the designer the opportunities to find solutions.
The last type of brief encourages exploration and creative solutions. Solutions, which the first brief would direct you to and the second may never allow you to reach.
Chair Design - An Example
The Briefs
Brief 1 - Design a chair in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Brief 2 - Design and object to support the body
Brief 3 - Design an object to sit on and relax
The Outcomes
1 Typical chair in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh
2 A chair, a bed or even a surgical bandage
3 Chair, beanbag or even a garden swing
What the last brief seeks to do is give the designer a chance to explore what the chair is for and also the experience it gives to the user.
The Anatomy of a Brief
A brief can be broken into three distinct parts
Introduction
Here the project is put in context, defining where or why the problem or opportunity arose and supplying any background information.
The Brief
Here the area in which the design activity is to take place is outlined. A number of design companies talk about designing the experience the product will give the user. i.e. a relaxing chair. The brief will also contain the limitations that are to be put on the solution, for example the chair must be stackable. It should include the market area it is aimed at, a children’s chair would require different characteristics from that of an adult’s. If the chair is aimed at the luxury end of the market the type and cost materials will have less of an impact on the final design than if it were aimed at the economy end of the market.
The Deliverables
This is an important area outlining what the client wants to see from the designer. This should address not only what is to be delivered but also the quantity and timescale. This can be directed by how much time is to be spent on particular areas of the design process. Deliverables could include type of research to be undertaken, whither a scale model is to be produced and the format the work has to be delivered in.